The Australian

leads with Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian’s push for Australia to end
its 33-year ban on Taiwanese leaders visiting the country and to get an
invitation to the leaders’ summit of the Asia Pacific Economic
Co-operation forum. Meanwhile ahead of tomorrow’s cabinet talks
on the planned $30billion Telstra sell-off,
the federal government is considering a $1billion fund to tackle
internet black spots in country areas as well as a separate $2 billion
“future fund.” And the government has also developed a revamp to the Aboriginal work-for-the-dole program through funding and
training for indigenous people who want to transform already existing projects into commercially viable and profitable businesses.

The Age
goes big with the news that radical cleric Abu Bakar Bashir and 19
others connected to the Bali nightclub blasts are set to have their
prison terms cut in a national amnesty to celebrate 60 years of
Indonesia’s independence. Meanwhile Steve Bracks has called on the
federal government to establish a National Reform Council
to increase infrastructure spending and cut business red tape to help
Australia keep in touch with the booming world economies of China and
India. And a new political party,
the Country Alliance, is to be registered in Victoria this week to
provide an alternative voice for country voters and to prevent the
Greens from gaining control of the upper house.

The Sydney Morning Herald leads with a story on back-to-basics reading methods from a Herald series on learning, but much of the front page is dominated by a photo of the Helios airliner crash site, just north of Athens. Meanwhile, to guarantee the future of Australian drama,
the president of the Screen Producers Association of Australia says the
ABC should be required to meet local content quotas and that the
Federal Government should invest more in production.

The Herald Sun
splashes with “JOE’S PAIN” and reveals details of the numerous messages
Joe Korp left before taking his life in a backyard shed. And Victoria’s most
confusing speed zones
will be scrapped after numerous speed zones sprang up across the state
following the introduction of the 50km/h default speed limit and 40km/h
speed limits at schools and shopping centres.

The Daily Telegraph
also focuses on the Korp saga, splashing with Maria and Joe Korp’s
wedding photo under the headline “I CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT HER.” And
workers will be deprived
of up to half their sick leave and all bereavement entitlements if the
federal government’s proposed Australian Workplace Agreements go ahead.

The Courier-Mail
reports that the Gold Coast City Council is under siege over
allegations of corruption and misconduct following revelations that
power line corridors, creek beds, drainage ponds and even cliff faces
have been designated as “public open space” in sweetheart deals between
the Council and developers. The Advertiser
says a group of hoteliers will exploit a legal loophole to start a
string of new poker machine venues across Adelaide in opposition to the
state government’s efforts to reduce the number of poker machines. The West
reports that West Australians are the nation’s best savers but the
money that they set aside is more likely to be used for a holiday than
for paying bills, according to a new survey. And theNT News
says the Territory is starting a campaign to lure tourists up north in
the traditionally quiet wet season – from November to March – when the
bush is green and dramatic sunsets and electric storms are most
frequent.